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How to Spend 3 Kid-friendly Days in Savannah, Georgia

February 05, 2019 by Amy Johns in Amy's Pick, Georgia, Guide, The South, Travel, USA

A few months ago we decided to road trip it and spend a weekend exploring Savannah! While we had visited the city before, we had never really taken the time to stay for a long weekend and get to know this classic southern city.

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February 05, 2019 /Amy Johns
savannah, georgia, kid friendly, fall, the south, the perry lane hotel, the emporium kitchen and wine market, the emporium, peregrin, rooftop bar, wayward, rooftop pool, trolley tour, old savannah tours, river street, telfair museum, scad museum of art, jepson center, forsyth park, wormsloe historic site, tybee island, moon river brewing co, broughton street, the collins quarter, husk, the wyld dock bar, the pirates house, leopold's ice cream, olympia cafe
Amy's Pick, Georgia, Guide, The South, Travel, USA
3 Comments

Infinity Mirrors at The High Museum of Art

High Museum of Art
December 20, 2018 by Amy Johns in Atlanta, Georgia, Lifestyle, The South, USA

I was so excited to get to go see Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors exhibition at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art last night! I had bought tickets months ago and had been anxiously awaiting my turn ever since. The show did not disappoint! This was one of the most fun art exhibitions I have been to (and having been an art major and working at a museum for three years, I’ve been to a few!).

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December 20, 2018 /Amy Johns
yayoi kusama, infinity mirrors, high museum of art, museum, japanese artist
Atlanta, Georgia, Lifestyle, The South, USA
1 Comment

Christmas in New York City: 3-day Itinerary

November 24, 2018 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, Itinerary, Most Popular

I’ve been getting a lot of questions over the past few weeks about what to do in NYC during the Holidays so I wanted to put together this easy 3-day itinerary! The great, and sometimes overwhelming thing about New York City is that you can ask 20 different people for a recommendation and you will get 20 different options, all of which are probably really good. So, this is just my personal list of what we did when we went last year and liked!

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November 24, 2018 /Amy Johns
nyc, new york city, new york, itinerary, christmas in nyc, nyc during holidays, 3 day itinerary, christmas market, NoMad, renaissance new york midtown, penn station, madison square garden, Macy's, Time Square, Bryant Park, winter village at bryant park, shopping in nyc, refinery hotel, ace hotel, flatiron building, the smith, the smith NoMad, brunch, jack's wife freda, hop-on hop-off, lower east side, bddw, freeman's nyc, freeman's alley, tenement museum, charlie bird, central park, wollman rink, wollman rink in central park, serendipity, old rose, the jane hotel, high line, meatpacking districk, chelsea, top of the rock, rockefeller center, best bagel and coffee, chelsea market, oculus at world trade center, broadway, joe allen's, waitress: the musical
Travel, USA, Itinerary, Most Popular
1 Comment

24 Hours in Athens, Georgia

April 19, 2018 by Amy Johns in Atlanta, Georgia, Guide, Itinerary, The South, Travel, USA

With summer fast approaching, its a great season to get out and explore! We love making the quick road-trip up to Athens, Georgia in the summer when school is out. Its less crowded and has a very laid back college town vibe...minus the one zillion college kids!

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April 19, 2018 /Amy Johns
24 hours, athens, georgia, summer travel, roadtrip, bbq, beer tasting, white tiger gourmet, ted's most best, 5&10, mama's boy, independent baking co., brewery, craft brewery, creature comforts, rooftop bar, georgia theatre, rooftop at georgia theatre, state botanical garden of georgia, botanical gardens, terra, terrapin, hotel indigo
Atlanta, Georgia, Guide, Itinerary, The South, Travel, USA
3 Comments

Mt. LeConte // LeConte Lodge

LeConte Lodge
January 29, 2018 by Amy Johns in Guide, Tennessee, The South, USA, Travel, Most Popular

The hike up Mt. LeConte to LeConte Lodge has been a tradition in Kyle's family for many years. While I only joined in on the tradition four years ago, it has become one of those events that I look forward to every year. It's a chance to unplug and unwind, get some exercise, breathe some fresh air, be outside, explore, enjoy each other's company and go just a little bit outside of our comfort zones (going to the bathroom in the middle of the night with bears on the loose is scary I tell you). To top it off, watching the sunset over the Great Smoky Mountains from Cliff Tops is, quite simply, magical. We've been a lot of places, seen a lot of sunsets...but Kyle and I both agree, this one still tops them all!

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January 29, 2018 /Amy Johns
Mt. LeConte, LeConte Lodge, family tradition, great smoky mountains national park, Cliff Tops, sunset, view, East Tennessee, tennessee, hike, Smoky Mountains, llama train, Alum's Cave, Trillium Gap, trail, group hike, Rainbow Falls, Boulevard Trail, Bullhead Trail, I Hiked It
Guide, Tennessee, The South, USA, Travel, Most Popular
1 Comment

Hotel Spotlight: Big Cypress Lodge, Memphis, TN

Big Cypress Lodge
January 05, 2018 by Amy Johns in Hotel Spotlight, USA, Travel, The South, Tennessee

Have you ever wanted to spend the night inside a Bass Pro Shop? No? Okay, how about sleeping inside one of the Great Pyramids of Giza? Well, Memphis, Tennessee's Big Cypress Lodge can check both of those off your list! You didn't even know you needed to check those off your list, did you?

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January 05, 2018 /Amy Johns
hotel, luxury hotel, spotlight, big cypress lodge, memphis, tennessee, bass pro pyramid, bass pro shops, mississippi river
Hotel Spotlight, USA, Travel, The South, Tennessee
1 Comment

La Jolla Babymoon

July 07, 2017 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, California

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!! After taking an unintentional year and a half hiatus from the ol' blog-a-roo, guess who's back! Tell your friends!

Not much has changed since I last sat down to write one of these...oh wait, just kidding...yes it has! We had a baby!

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July 07, 2017 /Amy Johns
la jolla, la jolla cove, california, san diego, babymoon, pregnant travel, travel, la valencia hotel, pool, beach, hotel, hotel pool, brockton villa, coast toast, french toast, cody's, duke's la jolla, catania, pizza, george's at the cove, view, herringbone, puesto mexican street food, tacos, cafe la rue, haagen dazs, girard avenue, prospect street, la jolla shores, sunny jim sea cave, sea cave, sunset, torrey pines, la valencia, codys, dukes la jolla, georges at the cove, puesto
Travel, USA, California
1 Comment

The Blue Ridge Parkway Photo Diary

January 20, 2016 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, The South

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs for 469 miles through North Carolina and Virginia connecting Shenandoah National Park in Northern Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Growing up nearby...

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January 20, 2016 /Amy Johns
blue ridge parkway, photo diary, north carolina, virginia, shenandoah national park, great smoky mountains national park, chimney rock, linville falls, hotel roanoke, roanoke, all american road, skyline drive
Travel, USA, The South
2 Comments

2016, The Year of the Roadtrip

January 08, 2016 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA

If you're looking for a travel resolution for 2016, here it is: get off the highway! *Side note: I also considered naming this post "How Make a 7-hour Drive Last 2 Days...On Purpose," but I decided that was just too long.

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January 08, 2016 /Amy Johns
2016, roadtrip, travel resolution, blue ridge parkway, roadtrippers, select registry, bed and breakfast
Travel, USA
3 Comments

5 Things: Top Travel Moments of 2015

December 28, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, Europe

5. Hiking Mt. LeConte

We do this hike in Tennessee's Smokey Mountains every year, and every year we experience an even more breathtaking sunset than the last. As you can see this was another magical year. Staying at LeConte Lodge on top of the mountain is a must.

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December 28, 2015 /Amy Johns
Travel, USA, Europe
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5 Things Atlanta: Christmas

December 20, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, The South, Georgia, Atlanta

1. Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden

This holiday light show at Atlanta Botanical Garden is a must see! Grab dinner at one of midtown's bajillion restaurants and head over to the gardens. Enjoy some hot chocolate or an adult beverage and wander through the maze of lights! It gets bigger and better every year!

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December 20, 2015 /Amy Johns
atlanta, christmas, garden lights holiday nights, atlanta botanical garden, light show, midtown atlanta, streets of buckhead, corso coffee, the southern gentleman, fado irish pub, peachtree road, peachtree dunwoody road, st. regis bar, st. regist atlanta, ponce city market
Travel, USA, The South, Georgia, Atlanta
3 Comments

Local's Guide to Memphis

December 15, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, The South, Tennessee, Guide

When most people think of Memphis, Tennessee, they think Elvis, Beale Street, the Mississippi River, BBQ, Graceland, and the Blues. These days, Memphis is all that and more. The city has thriving arts scene, a new and growing collection of breweries, tons of parks and music venues, sports, history and then there's the food. Yes, the BBQ is to die for. Always have the BBQ! But, you can also find some of the best southern cooking this side of the Mississippi. Justin Timberlake said it best when he said, "London ain't got no Gus's Fried Chicken. Paris may rendezvous, but they ain't got no Rendezvous. Egypt has the pyramids, they don't have a Bass Pro Pyramid."

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December 15, 2015 /Amy Johns
memphis, tennessee, elvis, beale street, mississippi river, bbq, graceland, the Blues, arts, breweries, justin timberlake, gus's fried chicken, rendezvous, rendezvous memphis, bass pro pyramid, memphis pyramid, sun studio, broad avenue arts district, five in one social club, city & state, the cove, muddy's bakeshop, memphis college of art, the brooks museum, overton park, crosstown arts, overton square, bosco's, babalu, babalu tacos & tapas, the local, memphis made brewing, wiseacre, porcellino's craft butcher, east memphis, granola, beef jerky, downtown memphis, the peabody memphis, memphis riverfront, beale street landing, the american queen, steamboat
Travel, USA, The South, Tennessee, Guide
1 Comment

24 Hours in Birmingham

December 07, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, The South, Guide

Over the years, Kyle and I have passed through Birmingham countless times on our way to Memphis. Most of the time, if we stay the night, we grab a hotel room right off the interstate, but the past few trips we have started to explore more and more. A few weeks ago, we met some friends there for a Saturday night getaway and did some more exploring. Here is my advice on how to spend a highly enjoyable 24 hours in the Iron City.

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December 07, 2015 /Amy Johns
birmingham, alabamba, 24 hours, guide, iron city, grand bohemian hotels, mountain brook, grand bohemian mountain brook, hotel bar, moscow mule, art gallery, hotel art, craft brewery, trim tab brewing, sloss furnaces, national historic landmark, dram whiskey bar, avo, outdoors, birmingham botanical gardens, botanical gardens, japanese garden, english garden, babalu, babalu tacos & tapas, lakeview district, tacos, chicken and waffles
Travel, USA, The South, Guide
3 Comments

Chasing Waterfalls: Ultimate Guide to Havasupai

November 27, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, American Southwest, Guide, Most Popular

The Havasupai are an American Indian tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for over 800 years. Supai, the town in which the Havasupai live, is one of the most remote cities in the contiguous United States. It is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and is only accessible by driving 60 miles on Indian Road 18 to the trailhead at Hualapai Hilltop, then hiking 8 miles to the village and another 2 to the campground. There is also a helicopter option to get to the village, but I would highly recommend the hike. In total, if you want to see all of the falls including Beaver Falls, you will walk 28-30 miles, but this experience is worth every single step!

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November 27, 2015 /Amy Johns
waterfall, guide, havasupai, american indian, grand canyon, supai, hualapai indian reservation, hualapai hilltop, hike, beaver falls, havasu creek, navajo falls, upper navajo falls, lower navajo falls, havasu falls, mooney falls, niagara falls, cliff, arizona, cataract canyon, sedona, seligman, indian road 18, peach springs, backpack, camera, phoenix, route 66, las vegas
Travel, USA, American Southwest, Guide, Most Popular
4 Comments

Seeing Sedona

November 19, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, American Southwest

Sedona is one of the most uniquely beautiful places I have ever been. When Kyle and I went a few weeks ago, we flew into Phoenix and drove to our hotel in the dark. As we arrived at Enchantment Resort and Spa, everyone on staff, from the guard at the gate to the front desk clerk, kept saying to us, "Enjoy the sunrise!" So, though we hadn't planned on it, we thought, "Well I guess we should get up for sunrise!" As we walked out of our "casita" in the pre-dawn light, we finally saw what we had been missing...

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November 19, 2015 /Amy Johns
sedona, arizona, phoenix, enchantment resort and spa, sunrise, boynton canyon, red rocks, hike, hot air balloon, luxury hotel, mii amo spa, mii amo cafe, acai bowl, pink jeep tours, broken arrow trail, submarine rock, outdoors, cliffs, amara resort and spa, amara resort, saltrock southwest kitchen
Travel, USA, American Southwest
1 Comment

Get Your Kicks on Route 66

November 16, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, American Southwest

Established in 1926, Route 66 is the original American highway aka the Mother Road. In Arizona, the highway runs from California to New Mexico and, just outside of Peach Springs, Arizona, 66 enters the Hualapai Indian Reservation, where we started our hike to Havasupai. On the way, we experienced several different areas of Route 66 including Seligman, Peach Springs and Flagstaff. There is a lot to love about Route 66, just as long as you know what to expect. Here are a few do's and don't's for the road....

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November 16, 2015 /Amy Johns
route 66, america, usa, highway, mother road, arizona, california, new mexico, peach springs, hualapai indian reservation, havasupai, seligman, flagstaff, do's and don't's, enjoy the ride, nostalgia, motel, cowboy theme, greasy spoon, galaxy diner, stage coach 66 motel, photo-op, grand canyon caverns, american culture, westside lilo's
Travel, USA, American Southwest
1 Comment

Knoxville for Grown Ups

November 08, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, The South, Tennessee, Most Popular

Knoxville, Tennessee will always hold a special place in my life. It's where I went to college (Go Vols!), it's where I met some of my very best friends, it's where I spent four of the most fun years of my life and it's where I met and fell in love with my husband.

That being said, the college student's Knoxville and the slightly-older-than-a-college-student's Knoxville are two different experiences. Kyle and I revisited the city for a wedding recently and found a new side to one of our favorite cities.

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November 08, 2015 /Amy Johns
knoxville, tennessee, university of tennessee, vols, volunteers, college, college town, market square, the oliver hotel, tupelo honey cafe, fizz, bliss, speakeasy, the peter kern library, downtown grill and brewery, gay street, stock & barrel, sassy ann's, old city, old city java, calhoun's on the river
Travel, USA, The South, Tennessee, Most Popular
2 Comments

Texas Barbecue Trail

October 28, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, Texas

If there is one food group Kyle and I are passionate about, its barbecue. With Kyle being from Memphis, he considers himself a barbecue aficionado. No matter where we are, if we spot a barbecue restaurant, we are probably going to try it. It doesn't matter if it looks like a nice place or if it is slightly terrifying - all that matters at the end of the day is finding the best 'cue! So, when we were in San Antonio last month we just had to take a little detour to Lockhart, Texas, otherwise known as the "Barbecue Capital of Texas." I'm not exaggerating either. In 1999 the Texas legislature made it official.

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October 28, 2015 /Amy Johns
texas barbecue trail, texas, barbecue, bbq, san antonio, lockhart, lockhart texas, barbecue capital of texas, granary 'cue & brew, pearl district, beer, kreuz market, black's barbecue, ribs, brisket, lonestar beer, banana pudding, smoked sausage, best brisket
Travel, USA, Texas
1 Comment

5 Things to Do in Atlanta in the Fall

October 21, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, The South, Georgia, Atlanta

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year and, in my opinion, when Atlanta is the most enjoyable. The heat and humidity has finally broken and we can all get outside for a little fresh air without dissolving into a puddle. While, this is not an exhaustive list, here are just a few of my favorite ways to enjoy all of Atlanta's autumnal glory. #fallismyfavorite

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October 21, 2015 /Amy Johns
atlanta, fall, brewery, winery, sweetwater brewing company, monday night brewing, red brick brewing, terrapin beer company, frog town cellars, dahlonega, atlanta beltline, ponce city market, krog street market, piedmont park, stone mountain park, village corner, oktoberfest, silver comet trail, helen, helen georgia, bavaria, troll tavern, pumpkin, pumpkin patch, burt's farm, uncle shucks corn maze and pumpkin patch, cypress street pint & plate, tap, peachtree street, cafe intermezzo, jct kitchen & bar, the southern gentleman, buckhead atlanta, midtown atlanta
Travel, USA, The South, Georgia, Atlanta
1 Comment

San Antonio's Mission Trail

October 12, 2015 by Amy Johns in Travel, USA, American Southwest, Texas

San Antonio's historic Mission Trail has something for everyone. With 10+ miles of paved paths winding along the San Antonio River, you can easily walk, run or bike to each of the city's famous missions. For those more interested in a quick bit of fresh air and a brew, Blue Star Brewing is right off the trail and just a short ride or walk from the downtown area. We went the route of the bicycle, which was made easy by San Antonio's B Cycle, a bike share program with stations literally all over the city and costing just $10 a day.

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October 12, 2015 /Amy Johns
san antonio, san antonio riverwalk, texas, mission trail, san antonio river, bike, blue star brewing, b cycle, bike share, the alamo, battle of the alamo, alamo plaza, mission concepcion, mission san jose, mission san juan, mission espada, architecture, diorama
Travel, USA, American Southwest, Texas
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